The present invention relates generally to a golf cart for carrying a golf bag with clubs and other golf equipment about a golf course. More particularly, the invention relates to a power- and/or manually-driven golf cart which is collapsible, without disassembly, into a compacted configuration for storing or transporting, and extendable, without assembly, into an operable or usable configuration for carrying a golf bag about a golf course.
Interest in the game or golf has been growing with more and more people now playing the sport. Various golf carts have been devised for carrying a golf bag with clubs about a golf course to help make the game of golf more enjoyable and less strenuous to a golfer.
One example of such golf carts is a manually propelled golf cart, or push or pull cart. Generally, a manually propelled golf cart includes a substantially elongate golf bag support frame member which forms at its upper end a handle and which at its lower end attaches to a horizontal frame member that attaches to a pair of ground support wheels. Manually propelled golf carts have been devised having either a fixed or non-collapsible configuration, or a collapsible configuration to facilitate storing or transporting from one location to another.
Examples of manually propelled collapsible golf carts include U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,460 granted to Klein, U.S. Pat. No. Re. 33,939 granted to Cheng; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,784,401 granted to Raguet. Klein discloses a two-wheeled manually propelled collapsible golf cart. The golf cart includes a substantially elongate golf bag support frame having ground supporting wheels. A gas spring is pivoted between relatively pivotable parts of the frame for biasing the golf cart toward either a collapsed and non-collapsed position.
Cheng discloses a manually propelled collapsible and telescopic golf cart that includes a substantially elongate golf bag support frame having ground supporting wheels. The frame includes three sections; a lower section, a middle section and an upper section. The lower section and middle section are pivotally and laterally interconnected by a hinge and adapted to be swung between an aligned extended position and an adjacent compacted position. The top section is adapted to telescope within a hollow inner space of the middle section.
Raguet discloses a manually propelled collapsible golf cart having a substantially elongate golf bag support frame having ground supporting wheels. A central hinge is provided between pivotal parts of the frame and between pivotal parts of side legs which attach at one end to the frame and attach at to the other end to ground support wheels. An interconnecting post is pivotally connected via linking members to each pivotable part of the frame and each side leg.
Examples of power driven golf carts include U.S. Pat. No. 4,657,100 granted to Lewis and U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,504 granted to Olsen. Lewis discloses a portable power driven golf cart that includes two ground support wheels which support a solid rigid axle upon which is mounted a main horizontal frame. A substantially elongate golf bag support frame is connected to the horizontal frame by a pivot connection so that the bag support frame can rotate from one position where it is essentially perpendicular to the horizontal frame to a second position where it is in alignment with such horizontal frame. The bag support frame is made of at least two section, an upper support frame section and a lower support frame section, which are pivotal with respect to each other. A motor is supported by the main horizontal frame and connected by gears to the axle for driving the two ground support wheels. The cart includes a unpowered support wheel at the lower end of the lower support frame section.
Olsen discloses a convertible walking/riding golf cart that includes three detachable units; a drive unit, a steering and golf bag support unit, and a riding unit. The drive unit has a frame supported on wheels connected to a battery operated motor. The steering and golf bag support unit is connected detachably to the drive unit and has releasable golf bag connectors and a handle bar mounting a speed control and brake control. The riding unit has a wheeled-supported platform connected detachably to the drive unit for adjustment between a operative position extending horizontally rearward form the drive unit for supporting a person on the platform for riding, and a storage position disposed vertically closely adjacent the drive unit to allow a person to walk behind the drive unit while grasping the handle bar. The three units are quickly and easily detached from each other for storage and transport in the trunk of an automobile.
In addition, there are a number of commercially available power-driven golf carts currently for sale on the market. As in Lewis and Olsen above, these commercially available power-driven golf carts include a motor operably attached to a solid axle spanning between and attaching to each of two ground support wheels. Such power-driven golf carts having a solid axle is limited in its ability to be collapsible or necessarily requiring disassembly of major components in order to be compacted.
Examples of commercially available manually operated power-driven golf carts having a solid axle spanning between and attaching to each wheel include, the Talisman electric trolley manufactured in Scotland; PowaKaddy Classic and PowaKaddy Rio manufactured by PowaKaddy International, Ltd. of England: the Power Golf Trolley manufactured by Hill Billy of England, the Minn Kota electric golf caddy manufactured by Paradigm Sports, Inc of Montgomery, Minn.; the Caddymatic manufactured in England, and the Le Retriver II manufactured in France.
Theima Technology, Inc. of Santa Clara, Calif. manufactures the SEI Caddie, a robotic caddie for carrying a golf bag with clubs which automatically goes wherever the golfer goes. The robotic caddie includes an rearward pair of ground support wheels mounted on a solid axle and a single forward wheel powered by a motor.
The problem with powered golf carts is that they are either not collapsible to allow for easy storage or transport or they are heavy, bulky and cumbersome to collapse, store and/or transport. So far as is known, no presently available optionally power- or mechanically-driven golf cart is as easily and facilely collapsible into a conveniently small and relatively lightweight and easily transportable and storagable collapsed golf cart as herein provided.